Battery Box

[litwok]

I have a 16ft painted bass boat that I use in saltwater. I found a pinhole in the transom where my two batteries are stored. The batteries are in trays. Should the be in boxes? My local dealer says none of the manufactures use boxes. My question is, would electrolysis be less likely with boxes versus trays? If your on the water and it rains and the batteries get wet in a tray -- will that cause an issue?

 

[64FAIRLANESC]

Re: Battery Box

I have never set up a new boat that had a battery, box, or tray in it from the company. We always use a battery box as extra protection if possible. It keeps anything from making contact with the battery terminals and causing a short.

I have a Aqua Patio Pontoon that has the batterie mounted under the rear seat. There was not enough room for the batterie box due to the height of the seat. I just used the bottom of the box and the strap to keep the battery in place.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Battery Box

Boxes are better than trays, for your application. Will they fix the electrolysis? Doubtful!

You need to read up on the testing they do to discover and determine the cause of the electrolysis. You obvious need to determine a fix for the issues you find.

I presume you used antifouling paint specifically made for aluminum hulls, and properly prepped the hull for it? If not, that is at least one of your issues

 

[litwok]

Re: Battery Box

I read somewhere in these forums that if the batteries become moist even from dew and they are uncovered that this might cause electrolysis. What is your take?

Thanks

 

[captharv]

Re: Battery Box

Won't happen, don't worry about it.
From the Coast Guard Auxilairy vessel manual (paraphrasing):
"Batteries must be secure in their mounting and have at least the positive terminal covered to prevent accidental arching"
(Dropped tool....)
I have 2 golf cart 220 AH in series for the ships battery. All terminals are covered; a 1000A starting battery. Just the + terminal is covered. They are in trays with a plastic cross piece to prevent jumping out.
Years ago, as an auxiliarist, I resonded to an outboard runabout type boat on fire. The battery and portable gas tanks (metal) were under the motor well. He was hot-rodding and the battery tipped over and slid into the gas tank. The arching terminals burned thru the tank and set it on fire. I got there 5 minutes later and the hull burned down to the water line. ( He ws in the water hanging onto a float chushion) Fiberglass burns rather violently.....So does gasoline

 

[Woodnaut]

Re: Battery Box

Battery boxes protect against impact, help to keep corrosive fluids contained, and also keep dirt off of the top of the battery which can cause a [current] leakage path. Even though its a little more work to pull the top off of a box to check fluid levels, I like the battery box approach.